Pool-ball-registering triangle.



No. 736,805. PATENTED AUG.18, 1903.

' E. J. WELLS.

POOL BALL, REGISTERING TRIANGLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 18, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER JONATHAN XVELLS, OF NASHUA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE POOL GAME REGISTER COMPANY, OF

WATERLOO, IOlVA.

POOL-BALL-REGISTERING TRIANGLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 736,805, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed June 24, 1902. Serial No. 113,001. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER JONATHAN WELLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashua, in the county of'Chickasaw and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Pool-Ball-Registering Triangle, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in pool-ball-registering triangles.

to The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of pool-ball-registering triangles and to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction adapted to register the number of games played and I 5 capable after a predetermined number of games have been registered of preventing the triangle from being again used for setting up the balls until the registering mechanism is released and arranged for operation.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pool-ball-registering triangle constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the registerin g mechanism, the front of the casing being removed and the units-dial being partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating the construction for locking the registering mechanism after a predetermined number of games have been registered. Fig. 5 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification of the invention. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the springs for holding the 0 dials against accidental movement. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one end of the springs and one of the ratchet-hubs.

Like numerals of reference designate corflw responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a triangular frame designed to be used for setting up the balls of a pool-table, and arranged within the said frame is a yieldable actuating device or member 2, consisting of a spring-plate secured at one end or portion to the inner face of one side of the triangular frame and having its other portion normally projecting into the area or space inclosed by the frame, and the said plate or member is provided at its free end with an extension or thumb piece 3, lying above the plane of the triangular frame and adapted to be readily engaged by the thumb of the operator for pressing the resilient plate or member against the adjacent side of the triangu- 6o lar frame to arrange it out of the way of the balls when it is desired to set the same up for playing a game.

A transversely-disposed reciprocating pin or plunger 4 is arranged in the path of the resilient actuating device, and it extends through a perforation of the adjacent side of the triangular frame, and it projects into a casing 6, which contains mechanism for registering the number of games played. The casing consists of a back 7 and a hinged front 8, the back being provided with a perforation registering with the perforation of the side of the frame and adapted to permit the reciprocating pin or plunger to project into the casing when the resilient actuating device is operated. The pin or plunger 4 engages one arm 9 of the bell-crank lever, which has its other arm 10 pivoted to the outer end of a reciprocating spring-actuated rod 11, and the latter, which is mounted in a suitable guide 12, is engaged by a coiled spring 13, interposed between the guide 12 and a collar 14.

The spring 13 is adapted to throw the rod 11 backward or outward, and it maintains the reciprocating pin in an extended position. The rod 11 is provided at its inner end with a pivoted pawl 15, having a slot or bifurcation 16 to receive the inner end of the rod 11 and secured to the same by a suitable pivot 0' 17. The pivot is located between the ends of the pawl, and the engaging or outer portion of the same is arranged to rotate a ratchetwheel 18 and is engaged by a curved spring 19, which holds the engaging portion of the pawl or dog against the ratchet-wheel, but

which permits the same to be thrown outward to avoid breaking the mechanism should an attempt be made to force the actuating device inward when the registering mechanism has reached the limit of its movement and is locked out of operation. The bell-crank lever is fulcrumed at its angle on a suitable support 20, which is secured to the casing and which is arranged within the same, and when the transverse plunger is moved into the casing the bell-crank lever will be oscillated and the rod 11 reciprocated. The spring 19, which is approximately semicircular, has one end secured to the dog and its other end bears against the rod 11 and is free.

The reciprocating rod or bar,which is shown above the registering mechanism in Fig. 2 of the drawings, may, if desired, be reversed and be located below the same, and the ratchetwheel 18 is mounted on the hub 21 of a unitsdial 22, which is arranged on a shaft 23. The ratchet-wheel, which is suitably fixed to the hub of the units-dial, is also provided at the inner end of its hub with a series of notches forming ratchet-teeth 24, which are engaged by one end of a spring 25, whereby the ratchetwheel 18 and the units-disk are held against accidental rotation and are prevented from moving backward when the reciprocating rod 11 is thrown outward by the coiled spring. The units-dial is provided with a series of numerals ranging from 0 to 9, and these areadaptedto be exposedsuccessivelythrough an aperture 26 of the front of the casing. The dial 22 is provided with a pin or projection 27, extending from the inner face of the said dial and adapted to engage teeth 28 of a tens-dial 29, whereby the latter will be actuated the distance of one tooth at each rotation of the units-dial. The tens-dial is provided with numerals ranging from 0 to 9, and the registering mechanism is locked out of operation by the means hereinafter described after the tens-dial has made nine successive movements and the units-dial has made nine complete revolutions and has moved around until the numeral 9 is exposed at the tenth revolution. By this arrangement the registering mechanism is adapted to register ninety-nine games; but it will be readily apparent that any number of dials may be provided to produce a registering mechanism of the desired capacity. The hub of'the tensdial is provided at its inner end with a series of notches 30, and it is mounted on a shaft 31, the dials being retained on the shafts by suitable pins or keys, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The teeth 30 are engaged by the spring 25, which has its ends bifurcated to receive the inner portions of the shafts, and the sides of the bifurcation are crimped or bent at 31 to form projecting teeth for engaging the end teeth of the hubs of the ratchetwheel 18 and the tens-dial 29. The spring 25 is provided with a central perforation and is arranged on a pin or stud 24, and it is en-l gaged by a spring 35, interposed between the back of the casing and the spring 25. The said spring 35 is provided with acentral perforation to receive the projecting pin or stud 24.

The tens-dial has one of its teeth elongated to provide an extension or arm 36, which is adapted to be engaged by a pin or projection 37, extending inward from the hinged front of the casing and arranged within the path of the tooth 36 and adapted to be engaged by the same when the numeral 9 of the tensdial is exposed at the aperture 38 of the front of the casing. The front of the casing is socured in its closed position by means of a padlock 39, and it is provided with a slot 40 to permit a staple 41 to extend through it to receive the shackle of the padlock. When it is desired to release the registering mechanism, the front of the casing, which is hinged at one end at 42, is unlocked, and the projection or pin 37 is swung outward away from the tens-dial, and the latter is rotated the distance of one tooth to carry the elongated tooth beyond the pin or projection and to arrange the dial with its cipher exposed at the aperture 38. The units-dial is also rotated to arrange the cipher at the aperture 26, and the casing is then closed. The registering mechanism is then adapted to be operated until it again registers ninety-nine games or any other desired number.

In Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings is illustrated a slight modification of the invention in which the reciprocating rod 43 is provided with a resilient integral engaging portion 44 for actuating the ratchet-wheel of the units-dial, and the said ratchet-wheel is also engaged by one end of a spring 45 to prevent the units-dial from accidentally rotating and from being drawn backward by the springactuated rod 43. The tens-dial 46 is provided with teeth of equal length and is actuated by a pin or projection 47, and in order to prevent the registering mechanism from being operated after it has reached the limit of its movement the tens-dial is provided with a pin or projection 48, which is engaged by a spring 49, secured to the casing and terminating in a hook 50. The spring is adapted to be readily disengaged from the dial to permit the registering mechanism to be set for operation when the casing is open.

The front of the casing is designed to be provided at the apertures with a plate 51, of glass or other suitable material, to exclude dust from the mechanism.

It will be seen that the registering mechanism is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive, reliable, and automatic in its operation, and that after the mechanism has registered a predetermined number of games it will be locked out of operation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, size,and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be IOC resorted to without departing from the spirit 2. A device of the class described comprising an open frame for setting up movable playing-pieces, an actuating device extending into the space inclosedby the frame, av plunger disposed transversely of one side of the frame and arranged to be operated by the' actuating device, a spring-actuated rod, a lever connecting the plunger and the rod, a ratchet-wheel arranged to be operated by the plunger, and a dial carried by the ratchetwheel, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprise ing an open frame for setting up movable playing-pieces, an actuating device extending into the space inclosed by the frame,.a transverse plunger operated by the actuating device and projecting through one side of the frame, a reciprocating rod, a lever operated by the plunger and arranged to actuate'the rod, a ratchet-wheel arranged to be engaged by the reciprocatingrod, a dial carried by the ratchet-Wheel, and means for locking the dial, substantially as described.

4:. A device of the classdescribed comprising a frame, an actuating device-extending into. the frame, a reciprocating rod having a pivoted dog extending longitudinally of the rod, a ratchet-wheel arranged to be engaged by thedog, means operated by the actuating device for reciprocating the said rod,'a spring engaging the rod and the dog, and a dial operated by the ratchet-wheel, substantially as described. 1

5. A device of the class described comprising a frame, an actuating device extending into the spaceinclosed by the same, a reciprocating rod, a dog pivotally connected with the rod and disposed longitudinally of the same, means operated by the actuating device for reciprocating the rod, a ratchet-wheel engaged by the dog, and a .dial operated by the ratchet-Wheel, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described compris ing a frame, an actuating device extending into the frame, a reciprocating rod, means operated by the actuating device for reciprocating the rod, a dog pivoted to the rod and ex tending longitudinally of the same, a spring engaging the dog and the rod, a dial provided with a ratchet-Wheel engaged by the dog, and

ing an open frame for setting up movable:

means forlocking the dial against movement, substantially as described. 4

7. ln-a device of the class described, the

combination of a ratchet-Wheel, a reciprocat ing rod, a dog pivoted to the rod and extending longitudinally, of the same and engaging the ratchet-wheel, a spring engaging the dog and .the .rod, and, means for locking the ratchet-,wheel against movement, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame, registering mechanism, a casing having a movable'portion ar ranged to open to afford access to the device and provided with a stop arranged-to lock the registering mechanism against movement and carried out of such position by the opening movement of the said portion, and means for securing the movable portion of the casscribed. Y

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame, registering mechanism, a protecting-casing having a hinged front provided with a stop arranged to lock the registering mechanism against move-' ing in its closed position, substantially as dement, and means for securing the hinged front of the casing in its closed position, s ub-- stantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described, the

combination-of a frame, a protecting-casing having a movable portion, registering mechanism arranged within the casing and havinga movable member, a stop mounted on the movable portion of the casing and arranged in the path of the movable member of the registering mechanism to lock the latter out'of operation, and'means for operating-the registering mechanism, substantially as described.

11. In a device of the'class described thecombination of an open frame for setting up movable playing-pieces, an actuatingdevice" extending into the space inclosed by the frame, a transverse plunger arranged in the Ico' path of the actuating device,a longitudinallydisposed spring-actuated rod connected With and operated by the plunger, a units-dial provided with a ratchet-wheel and actuated by the said rod, a tens-dial operated by the units dial and havingan extended portion or tooth, a yieldable device engaging the ratchet-Wheel and the tens-dial, and a removable stoplocated in the path of the extended portion or toothof the tens-dial for locking the registering mechanism against movement at the end of a predetermined number ofgames,

substantially as described.

12. In a device'of the class described, the

combination of an open frame for setting up movable playing-pieces, an' actuating device extending into the space inclosed bythe frame, a casing mounted on the exterior-of the frame, a transverse plunger extending into-the casing and through one side of .the

frame andarranged in the path of the actuating device, a bell-crank lever mounted mined number of games, substantially as de 1 within the casing and having one of its arms scribed. arranged to be engaged by The plunger, a In testimony that I claim the foregoing as springactuated rod operated by the other my own I havehereto afiixed my signature in 5 arm of the bell-crank lever, a units-dial, a the presence of two witnesses.

ratchet-wheel connected with the units-dial, ELMER JONATHAN WELLS. a tens-dial operated by the units-dial, and Witnesses: means for looking the registering mechanism H. M. WALLESER,

against movement at the end of a predeter- O. E. 'DYRE. 

